Never Meet Your Heroes
by Col.Foley
Summary: Due to an incident in time and Space the Doctor and Clara are sent careening, to a new planet. A planet with a man, a man who has saved his people...or has he? The Doctor should never meet his heroes.
1. Chapter 1

_The TARDIS _

The floor of the great ship shuttered beneath them as Clara and the Doctor gripped the control console, preventing an embarrassing spill.

"She seems a bit rough today Doctor." Clara commented frowning.

The Doctor glanced at the readouts and flicked a lever. "Ah!" He remarked flapping his hands about and twisting them together.

"Ah?" Clara inquired.

"Yes," The Doctor grinned, "we are in the middle of temporal soup. Getting extra turbulence." Clara was about to ask but the Doctor barreled on. "Temporal tipping points, fixed points in time, time locks…all of them give off temporal energy in extreme amounts which occasionally make it harder for the TARDIS to do its job. Or it could be…" his eyes darted to his companion… "Gas".

"Gas?" Clara asked knitting her brows.

"Yes," The Doctor admitted. "Gas. Rifts in the skin of the universe, temporal eddies, sometimes there is bleed through…gas, leaking into the vortex."

The TARDIS shuttered again and Clara cast her eyes towards the spinning ceiling of the ship in flight. "Doctor, can you make it stop?"

"This seems to be a rough one I'm afraid, best we can do is ride the storm out…or…"

"Or what?" Clara asked eyebrow raising slightly.

"Or we find a place…to park. Just stick down, look around, and hope the storm has passed by the time we leave and get back on the road."

"Awww but you promised me a trip to Space Alaska!" Clara pouted.

"Well, it's either that or we try roughing it."

To punctuate his statement the TARDIS leapt underneath them throwing the pair against the console. The Doctor recovered his footing struggling tapping at the console, flicking switches, and toggling buttons. He started cooing at the TARDIS as he circled the console, gripping it as they were still off kilter. Clara watched him, suddenly wishing her lessons on TARDIS flight and control were complete the last time the Doctor tried to show them to her.

Finally, the console room righted itself. But the floor still shuttered and the console room groaned around them. The Doctor cast an expectant look at the Impossible Girl.

"Fine." She nodded.

The Doctor grinned and burst into activitity, leaping across the console, nearly slipping as he went, he started inputting new coordinates and positions into the master computer, before flipping the main lever.

The TARDIS groaned and moaned as the engines redoubled their efforts, changing the course in the middle of the 'soup.'

The shuddering increased, the TARDIS consoles around them started to rattle.

"Doctor, are you sure about this?" Clara asked.

"Well, we got pretty deep into the storm pocket, so…I think we'll be fine."

A bang sounded in the TARDIS top rattling through the ship, then another, then a third.

Clara gritted her teeth, keeping the question down forming in her mind. The rattling continued and she opened her mouth, a final crash, and it was over.

"We have landed."

She breathed a sigh of relief but that left little in the way of explanation at events. "Doctor, what was that all about?"

"Hmm? I don't know Clara, sorry, I-D-K, that's better, that's the way you speak these days." He clapped his hands together. "Either way, it doesn't matter, here we are, and we made it. And it probably would have gotten a lot worse going to space Alaska. We were in the middle of a real wild one!"

"But we're safe now?"

"Oh yes," The Doctor nodded, "At least from the storm." He pointed at the TARDIS entrance." "Anything can be through those doors though. Exciting isn't it?"

She grinned, "Well what are we waiting for?"

Together, arm in arm, they marched gaily out the TARDIS doors and…into a cold, bleary place. The Doctor looked up, _just over cast, and slight examples of soot in the air, oxygen content…_ he stuck his tongue out, _just a little too high… _he looked around his eyes darting out to the streets and their corners, _well mostly human, advanced land only vehicles_, he looked up again, _sun is in the right place…_

"This is South Ashan." He stated.

"What is?"

"The planet."

"There is a Planet called South Ashan?"

"Yes it's just below North Ashan, dreadful place, very cold…an ice world!" The Doctor explained.

"What the planet is called 'South' just because it's 'below' something?"

"Well don't blame me it's you lot who named the thing!"

Without giving Clara the chance for further conversation the Doctor marched off towards one of the street corners, making a beeline for the man standing there. He stared black out of his black face, his eyes widening.

_Interesting, oh well I bet I can get him at ease!_ "Hello good sir! I'm the Doctor and this is my companion Clara." He waved backwards at Clara.

"Hello!" She picked in.

"Do you mind telling me, what today's day is?"

The man simultaneously slouched his shoulders and seemed to relax, but his eyes took on a more curious look. "Blimey mate, where have you been, doesn't everyone know what day it is?"

"Yes, sorry, we're new in town, just got here…minutes ago."

"But the space port is way across the city…how you got…"

"Yes, sorry, the date please?"

"Why its Liberation day of course!"

The Doctor felt both of his hearts skip a beat, "Oh its Liberation day is it!" he clapped his hand excitedly and grinned at his host.

"That is what I just said, sir."

Clara asked, "What is Liberation day?"

"You must be new!" The man said.

The Doctor gave both of them a look before marching Clara off to the side into a knot of people excitedly talking with one another and looking around. He hoped their noise and lack of attention at the two strangely dressed people would conceal them so they could talk.

"Liberation day," He clapped his hand together thinking, "this planet was colonized by two separate groups of people, two separate Colonial Groups from Earth came here and set up a colony. They were mostly comprised of different races…well sorry different human races…" he gave Clara an odd look "you know you people have to make your language so confusing sometimes!" Clara was about to speak "Anyways, eventually the two groups became divided along _primarily_ racial lines. One group started to take more power and turn against the lower class…they had the guns…"

Clara frowned next to him, "It really never changes doesn't it?"

"Sometimes it does," The Doctor allowed with a thin smile but sighed, "but yes you humans are like pinballs you are, doesn't take much of a push to get you to go down a very dark path."

"Makes the future seem kind of…bleak."

"Oh brave heart Clara," The Doctor's smile widened, flicking Clara on the nose, "it's the same wherever you go, and we must always be on the lookout." He waves his hand around. "My own people had their moments, they slid into corruption and tyranny, the glorious Time Lord race produced monsters that would make the worse of humanity look like absolute saints…" he muttered "power mad dictators."

Instead of it having the desired effect Clara looked even more depressed, she suddenly found herself pressing her body against his and holding him loosely.

"But don't worry, eventually a man came, a very brave man. He had to fight, had to make a point, but after it was done he brokered peace, became the President of this world, and united the races under his banner of freedom and peace."

"And they all lived happily ever after?" Clara asked turning her big eyes up at him.

The Doctor looked away and cleared his throat, "For a while anyways."

"And Liberation day is where they celebrate their, well, liberation?" Clara grinned.

Before he could answer a screaming motorcade rounded the corner, a single motorcycle like vehicle rushed ahead making a whirring alarm, the crowd oohed and awed around them. The Doctor frowned glancing around, but eventually shrugged his shoulders and stared straight ahead.

Slowly, after a couple of minutes, the cycle was joined by a procession of slow cars and a floating 'platform.' And on the platform was…the Doctor grinned.

He pointed and started dancing around.

"What?"

"It's him, President Montebene, the one who set them free!"

"You know what they say?"

"About what?" The Doctor frowned turning to his companion.

She bumped him with her shoulder, "you should never meet your heroes."

"Oh nonsense!" The Doctor scowled. "I'm a Time Lord we have excellent sense of history…it's in the name!"

Clara snorted derisively.

The Doctor gaped and thumped on his feet for a few seconds. "Come on," He said grinning, "let's go meet him!"

Over the next several minutes the Doctor and Clara followed the convoy. Along with a few of the locals. But most of them stayed in their positions or left the side of the road. Some of them took their kids and moved to the shop corners along the road, with obviously nothing else to see here.

The procession continued on and the Doctor wondered absurdly whether it would _ever_ stop. _I thought he would want to be among the people, shaking hands, kissing babies, and all the good stuff. Not isolated on a platform waving around behind guards_.

He shook his head clearing his head of the thoughts and just as quickly the procession stopped. The President got off, and started talking to what looked like men in suits, they were smiling at him.

The Doctor seized the opportunity. Taking Clara's hand he ran across the street despite a car rolling in past them. The two of them reached the end of the road and came up short against the man.

The President swiveled around and his guards tensed at his side, _no doubt protecting him from all the hugs he gets, it must be quite annoying._ But as far as the Doctor was concerned he would only get this one once in a life time opportunity to express his admiration.

His hand came out and Montebene took it shaking it rigorously. "Mr. President. Montebene! Big fan, big fan." He kissed him in the air along each cheek.

"Uh, thanks." The politician brought up a quick smile and nod at the Doctor.

"The way you took their prejudices and biases and forged the two races here into one, inspired sir."

The Doctor could have sworn he saw the President's left eyebrow arch suddenly but he did his best to cover it up with another smile.

A sudden commotion prevented him from analyzing the thought any further, the Doctor's head swiveled around and he felt the President slip from his grip. A man with black hair rushed forward.

"Traitor! Usurper!" The man howled.

In a blur he slammed into the Doctor knocking the Time Lord down to the ground. He could have sworn he heard Clara cry off next to him. The Doctor twisted around and observed the scene. The assailant twisted his arm up ready to throw something, _a rock?_ At the President. Before he could complete the motion two gun shots rang out from each of the President's guards.

The man took four hits to the chest, and collapsed. The Doctor leapt to his feet his mouth twisting into an agape shock. He pushed the guards out of the way and brought his Sonic Screw Driver to hand, doing a quick check for the man's life signs.

"He's dead!" The Doctor cried turning to his assailants. "He had a rock and you shot him!"

"He was a threat to the President's safety, we had to act."

The Doctor leapt up, "he had a rock, and if you were only doing your jobs you could've stopped him without bloodshed!"

"If some idiot hadn't gotten in our way then we would've seen him coming." One of the guards retorted.

The Doctor snapped jerking his fist forward, but Clara grabbed him from behind, "Doctor!" She yelled in his ear. "Calm Doctor."

He breathed heavily, in, and out, in, and out, getting control of his emotions. "You're right Clara." He breathed.

She let him go allowing him to straighten his suit and bow tie. "Well," He said twisting his head, "I suppose if you were only doing your job." His eyes fluttered over to the President. He pointed suddenly. "Just keep him safe, he is important."

The President and the small knot of men each nodded in their turn and left. He watched them go for a minute, and watched the door as they entered the building, standing there.

"Doctor, Doctor, is everything alright?" Clara asked behind him.

He hesitated for a second, then spun around with a grin. "Everything is fine, come on, let's go to a hotel, take in the sights, that's new, never done a hotel before. Done touristy things."

"Yeah, that does not sound like you." Clara said hesitantly.

"Come on!" He grinned. "We can be tourists, take things in slowly. Not every day we can just sit and relax. Life is not always about Daleks and Cybermen, lasers, and explosions. We need a break, I know it's not Space Alaska, but it's not Skaro either."

"Shouldn't we be getting back to the TARDIS?" Clara asked with an edge.

"Nah," The Doctor harrumphed, "besides the space turbulence is still out there, most likely, that storm was a whopper."

Clara smiled and rolled her eyes, "Alright, lead on."

The Doctor grinned and did just that.


	2. Chapter 2

_Ashan Hotel_

The Grand Hotel of Ashan was a marvelous piece of architectural engineering, _if I do say so myself_, the Doctor thought to himself. Two stair cases swept down across the front of the place, just ahead of the entry way proper, down to a reception area where three golden ornate glass chandeliers swayed down.

Clara next to him grinned, thoughts of Space Alaska instantly fleeing from her mind.

"I know."

"This is…impressive." Clara opined turning to him.

"I know." He led her down the stairs, they both ran at a clipped pace dodging through small knots of people, some turning to give them curious and affronted looks.

The Doctor and Clara crashed ahead into one of the reception desks and the clerk blinked up at them passed his round glasses. Taking in the suddenly appearing apparition.

"May I help you sir, and madam?"

"Yes, I'm the Doctor, or rather Doctor Matt Smith from the Earthen Colonial affairs office and this is my associate," The Doctor snapped his head down behind Clara for a second taking her in, "short skirt," he said popping back up.

"We will need to see some credentials sir."

"No problem, here are my credentials," The Doctor flipped his blank psychic paper up before the clerk.

He smiled visibly relaxing, "Welcome to Ashan Doctor Smith, will you be staying long?"

"Uh," The Doctor scowled his face scrunching up, "I don't know, a week, maybe two? How long do people usually stay here?"

The Clerk went back to blinking furiously. "It depends if its business or pleasure."

"Right," The Doctor snapped his fingers, "then make it…four days…that should be plenty of time."

The Clerk nodded punching his commands into his computer, "That will be three hundred standard credits."

"Uh," The Doctor looked wide eyed at Clara, "Oh I know." He whipped out his screwdriver, the Clerk gave it a curious look, but he turned it on, it whirred appreciatively.

The Clerk arched a speculative eyebrow as the console beeped at him, "your…payment stick…has been accepted. I have never seen something like this before?"

"It's all the rage back on Earth." The Doctor commented.

"Right then, your room is 512 I can send an aide over or you can go there yourself?"

"I think we can find the way." The Doctor smiled.

The two of them marched up the steps quickly approaching the elevator at the top, the one which would take them to all the floors of the hotel.

"Matt Smith?" Clara asked.

"I've been getting tired of John this, John that, John kick me up the nose. Besides in this day in age Matt is the new John, it's very in, very hip right now. Just like bow ties and fezzes. Big fashion back on Earth."

"Right." Clara deadpanned.

They finally arrived at the elevator and the door opened after a minute of the Doctor tapping his foot on the floor. The two fellow travelers stepped into the elevator, the Doctor pressed the proper floor number, and up they went. It was a painfully slow and boring ride as they went up, up up. The Doctor tapped his foot on the carpeted floor again, but with neither him nor Clara talking the footfalls made a distinct yet dull crunching sound.

Clara grunted, "So Doctor, what's up? It's not like you to go to a hotel and 'be a tourist'."

"Everyone needs a break Clara, and besides that storm is still probably raging."

"Uh huh. Is there something you aren't telling me?"

"No." He said with a flatness to his voice.

"Are you lying to me?"

"Nooo." He said rolling the flatness out and adding an edge.

"You are lying to me, aren't you?" She said grinning triumphant, _which given the circumstances is a little bit odd_.

He sighed, "Fine." He ran a hand through his hair. "Yes, I am lying. There is something…" he jutted his chin out… "Wrong here. It's in the air, something just feels off about the entire planet. I can't put my finger on it. So telling you I was being a tourist sounds better then, I have a gut feeling, I don't know what's wrong, oh look Jammie Dodger." He looked at her and brought up a smile.

"Well you should probably know I know you by now, and can usually figure out when you are telling the truth."

He smirked, "Yes, I do tend to forget how being in my time stream has let you know me, all of me. Everything I have been through and ever done. All my lives. It's…eerie. The walls are down between us Clara Oswald."

The right side of her face pulled down into a frown, "OK that was a little creepy."

He grinned and laughed at her. But the lift doors opened before he could continue on with his line of inquiry.

The halls were long, ornately carpeted and ornately decorated with ornate wall fixtures casting golden light along the walls. Chandeliers were spread about every ten meters. There was barely a shadow or place to hide in the entire hall. It took them only a few minutes to get to where they were going.

But they arrived, the Doctor took his key card, slid it into the slot, and then slid on through holding his hand out for Clara to join him. She slid past him, he turned, checked down both sides of the hall suspiciously, and closed the door.

The room was distinctly 'hoteley', despite the veneer of the outside, the hall, the reception, and the elevator, the room was decidedly Spartan. And dark. The Doctor flipped on the light and it wasn't much better. One bathroom, one small living room with two beds, and a small dining room like area off to the side. Desk lamps and several other elements kept the place lit, but there were shadows.

_OK, so this might be a statement_.

"Oh, bouncy beds." The Doctor grunted running over to it, sitting down, and then pushing down on it so he bounced. "Bouncy, bouncy, bouncy."

"So this is it then?" Clara turned around smiling, "no Daleks, no Cybermen, no creepy monsters, just 'bouncy beds', and a hotel room?"

"Problem?"

"No, it just seems so boring."

"Oh Clara," He grinned, "Bit of perspective, when the universe is your back yard, sometimes all you have is a back yard. Sometimes the Daleks and the Cybermen become common place. As common place as you going on a nine to five job and teaching kids and giving them guidance. I have been doing this for a long time Clara, a very long time…and you should know."

"Doesn't change how I feel." She smiled.

His smile flickered for a second and he looked down, "No, I suppose it wouldn't." He muttered.

_Hotel Reception_

The receptionist who admitted Doctor Smith and the woman who accompanied him continued through his work for the day. He had to admit four more groups of people, and had to file his hourly reports and check and clean his register, but there was something that was bothering him.

Something he knew he should do, his patriotic duty. _After all maybe if I can help out the Minister and do my Patriotic Duty then perhaps I can get out this hell hole of a job_.

_But the question is what?_

He knew he had something but he had no idea what that something was. He had no idea why the man's position gave him so much thinking and such pause.

But finally, over his lunch break, he gave into the urge.

_Prime Minister's Office_

Montebene sat behind his desk leafing through the reports and the pads laid before him, those his other ministers gave him to read through. He preferred this from the day to day meetings with the peons and peasants. Though he had a lot of those, but he rarely met with his full cabinet, only every week, or every month when he was really in a mood. Instead he had them send him reports. In some ways it was just as boring and frustrating as it was before but at least he could do it at his own pace, and sometimes he could _pretend_ to read them.

But in other words, things were going well, _except for the damn resistance_ he frowned, his thoughts threatening to go down a very dark path.

A light rapping on the door brought him out of it.

His head arched up and he turned to look at the door, his aide was standing there, "Mr. Hamilton?" He asked.

"Sir, we've gotten a report from a hotel receptionist in the city. He has something that I think you are going to want to hear."

"Found a resistance cell hiding in one of his rooms did he?"

"No, but he says he admitted a Doctor Smith from the Earth Colonial Affairs."

Montebene's smirk changed into a tight frown, his face, if it was white, would have lost all color. He got up from his chair and he went over to the window and glanced out it. "This changes things."

"Why would it? We are apparently a free and independent government now from the mother world, surely they should not care what our affairs are."

"Yes, normally this is true. But right now we knew the situation is delicate. I was hoping to deal with the situation with the resistance before they arrived. Because they had to come. Eventually. And even though we are not officially apart of their government anymore you know how they view wayward colonies, that they have an obligation to all the sons of Earth to keep them on the straight and narrow. And they wouldn't understand, or we can't risk they won't understand."

"Then what do we do?" Hamilton said.

Montebene craned his neck and rubbed his chin. "We deal with the problem. We try and convince them that there is nothing going on here, but if they discover the truth we kill them. Blame it on the resistance, and Earth should leave us alone… deal with our affairs in peace."

"And just how do we go about doing this?" Hamilton asked.

"We capture them."


End file.
